Coupling



: y invention relates toimprovements in CLIFFORDC. BRADBURY, F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, SSIGPNOR T0 BASSICK MNUFAG- TUBING- CoMrANY, or calorico, ILLINOIS, A conronaron or DELAWARE.

" 'l coUrLINe, I l i i Application mea :une v1v, 1921. serial m. 478,222.`

new and useful Improvement in Couplings,

of Whichthe following is a full, clear, conoise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a'. art of this specification.

couplings and is particularly concerned withimprovements 1nl couplings forming a part.' of a lubricatingy systemicomprising.

a plurality of coupling members or fittings which are permanently secured to the bearings to be lubricated, 'and a lubricant com-Y presser having a discharge conduit the :tree

end' of which is provided with acoupling member for making successive `detachable connections with the 4coupling member or fittings secured cated.

to thebearingsto be lubri- The objects of my invention are :v First, to provide' a cou ling in which the coupling membersecurejto the discharge conduit of the compressorcomprises a lock'- ing member which'can be either attached to or detached from Vthe coupling. members or fittings secured to the bearing@- by a movement in either of two different directions.

Second, to provide'iaiicdiiplirig"member to be secured to the free end of thedischa'rge conduit of a lubricant compressor compris-- ing a portion which can be moved longitu'.

dinally with respect to `the coupling inA either direction, either for attaching or for detaching the coupling member froml the coupling members secured to the bearings, and 4 Y Third, to provide a coupling memberofA the character., described ,which is simple in construction, rugged vand easy to operate;-

Gther objects will appear as this descrj tion progresses, referencebeing hadtot e i accompanying dawings,in Whichs-'TV bil necting the discharge conduit oftheflubri-- c' inner endsx'of the .openings being constrictv `Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectionA-`v cant compressor with a bearing,1and

through my improved coupling.

characters will be used for referring 'similar parts.

the sheet metal closure '9, which is in the form of a caphavinga tlange 10 extending from' the inner 'edge the1"eof,'whichv is pro-- vided with suitable apertures 11, through which the lubricantfcan pass when thev cap is moved inwardly underthe pressure 4of 'the lubricant against the tension of the .come pression spring 12.` The' inner end of .the

sprin v1 2 abutsagainst the iii-turned flange 13. n4 annular groove 14 is formed in the periphery of the tubular member '5 adjacent the end closed bythe closuie. H desired, facets -15 may belormed on the tubular member to provide`v means whereby the tubular member can of a wrench..

be inserted by means In Figure 1 I havevillustrateda compresi sor of conventional form which comprises a barrel 16 in Which is slide-bly mounted a suitable piston 17, which can be reciprocatthe outer end of which is providedv with a handle 19 by menus. of which it can be rotated.V The barrel 16 .is provided with the flexible discharge conduit 19 preferably formed of flexible metallic hose, and to the end of which is secured 4my improved coupling member which is formed as follows:

The plug 2O is provided at its inner end with an 'annular groove 21-for` receiving the free end of the flexible conduit 19which is secured therein by solder 22 or any other suitable means. The-plug 2() is provided with 'a bore 23' which -forms'fA al continuation openings 25ffor-receiving the balls 26; the

ed as shown at 27. to provide an' annular abutmentwhich preventsthe balls 2 6 from Ypassing entirely through the openings 25 v ed'by means of the screw threaded rod 18,

The sleeve 24 is reduced in diameter from a point adjacent the openings 25 to provide a shoulder 28. A collar 29 surrounds the inner end of the sleeve 24 and it, together with the shoulder 28, forms an annulai` groove 30 for receiving the spiralv compression spring 31, the ends of which bear against the split rings 32 and 33 located at opposite ends of the oove 30 and slidable upon the sleeve 24. he outer edges or the collars 32 and 33 project beyond the adjacent surfaces of the collar 29 and the sleeve 24.

A -second sleeve 35 has its inner end threaded to the collar 36 which is, in turn slidably mounted upon the collar 29. Its outer end extends to a point substantially flush with the outer end of the sleeve 24. A pair of spaced, annular grooves 37 and 38 are formed in the 'inner side of the ring 35 adjacent its outer end and form an annular rib 39 vwhich is normally held in registry with the openings 25 bv the engagement of the ring 32 with lthe collar 36 and the ring 33 with the annular rib 40 projecting from. the inner side of the sleeve 35.

Means may be provided for sealing the connect-ion between the coupling member 5 and the coupling member securedJ to the discharge conduit 19, and in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated these means as comprising a cup leather 41 having an opening 42 formed therein in registry with the opening in the closed end ofthe tubular member 5. A washer 43 is seated ion the bottom of the cup 41 and provides an abutment .for one end of the compression spring 44, the other end of which rests against the outer end. of the lplug 20. A shoulder 45 formed on the inner wall lof the sleeve 24 provides means for preventing the cup leather' 41 from being entirely displaced from the sleeve 24. From the above description it will be seen that the sleeve 35 can be moved in yeither direction longitudinally of the sleeve 24 against the tension of the spring 31, and that if moved in one direction the groove 37 will be brought into registry with the openings 25, whereas if moved in the opposite direction the groove 38 Will be brought into registry with the openings 25. ln either position the balls 26 can drop into the corresponding groove, so as to permit the coupling member secured to the `discharge conduit 19 to be either slipped over or removed from the coupling member 5. Upon releasing the sleevev 35, the latter will be moved underthe tension of the spring 31, in either direction, toits normal position, shown in Figure 2, in which it `forces the balls 26 into the groove 14 of the coupling member 5, and thus locks the two coupling members together.

To bring the two coupling members into the proper position to be locked together it lbeivrvilg conducted by the liile I have ldescribed the details of con-v is necessary' to move the cup leather 41 inwardly against the tension of the spring 24 and the tension of this spring causes an initial seal to be formed between the cup leather 41 and the adjacent end of the coupling member 5, which seal increases with increase in pressure on the lubricant coupling member.

struction of the preferred embodiment of my invent-ion, it is to be clearly. understood that my invention is not limited to these de tails, but is capable of other adaptations and modifications within the scope of the appended claims. y y

Having thus described: my invention, what l claim is 1. A coupling .comprising a tubular coupling member having an annular groove adjacent one end, a hollow couplingl member for receiving the grooved end of said tubular coupling member, the coupling member through for registering with said annular groove, a ball .loosely heldin said opening and adapted to project into said roove, a sleeve slidably mounted on sait hollow coupling member, the said sleeve having a pair of spaced grooves in its inner surface forming an annular rib, the said hollow coupling member having a shoulder adjacent. its outer end and a collar slidable thereon in spaced relation to said shoulder to form an annular groove, a ring at each end of said last named groove, a compression spring in said groove for holding said wall of said' hollow having an opening there,A

ringsV in spaced relation, spaced abutments projecting inwardly from said sleeve for engaging said rings to hold said sleeve with its annular rib in registry with the opening in said hollow coupling member and thereby holding said ball in the4 groove in said tubular coupling member, the said sleeve being slidable on said hollow coupling member suiiicient distance in either direction to bring either of the grooves therein in registry with. said opening to permit said ball to move outwardly into said groove to release said coupling members from each other.

2. A coupling comprising a tubular coupling member having an annular groove adjacent one end, a hollow coupling member for receiving the grooved end of said tubular coupling member, the wall of said hollow coupling member having an opening thereoove, a

llU

the said sleeve having a pair i of spaced grooves in its inner surface forming an annular rib, spring means on said hollow coupling member for holding said sleeve with its annular rib in registry with 

